or, if not, cross some range into a more open country. The whole day was
lost, however, in toiling through a brigalow scrub. Various water-courses
crossed our route, but all descending towards the river we had left. The
scrub was so thick that we could only pass where accidental openings
admitted us, and by this sort of progress, until within an hour of
sunset, I found we had travelled about nine miles, and had gained only
half a minute of latitude. Having penetrated, on foot, and with
difficulty, about two miles ahead of the party, in pursuing the course of
a small watercourse, I found that even this turned south-east, evidently
to fall into the reedy basin we had previously explored; therefore, I
determined on an immediate retreat out of that labyrinth of scrub, back
to our friendly river. It was comparatively easy to return through the
opening we had made by cutting down much of the brush as we advanced, so
that by twilight we reached a good grassy spot about half way to the
river, and near it, found some good ponds of water. A pigeon, flying
almost in my face, first drew my attention to the hollow where we
afterwards found the water. It was in soft mud, however, in which one of
the bullocks got bogged, and could only be taken out by the whole
strength of the party dragging him with ropes. Thermometer, at sunrise,
18 deg.; at 4 P.M., 54 deg.; at 9, 25 deg.. Height above the sea, 1241 feet.

9TH JULY.--The cattle were so much exhausted by drawing through the
scrub, and I had so much to do at my map, that I gave to the cattle and
the party, a day's rest. Latitude, 24 deg. 34' 12" S. Thermometer, at
sunrise, 14 deg.; (in my tent, 18 deg.;) at 9 P.M., 48 deg..

10TH JULY.--Returning, still along our old track, towards a slight
eminence, three miles from our camp, I there set the party to work, to
cut a way across the gully, which had first obliged me to turn westward.
While the men were so employed, I rode about five miles northward, but
met with no opening or water-course admitting of a passage in that
direction. On the contrary, I returned, on intercepting one running S. E.
towards our river. The party had taken all things across when I rejoined
them, and we travelled along the left bank of the gully, chiefly through
open forest land, until we approached the river. Scrub, and muddy
gullies, obliged us to cross the river soon after we reached its banks.
Water appeared more abundant in its bed here, and we encamped on t